Go To Types of Books We Seek / Go To Guidelines

Due to the volume of submissions, Health Communications cannot guarantee response times or personalize responses to individual proposals.

Thank you for your interest in Health Communications, Inc. For over two decades, we have enhanced our readers' lives through top-quality books promoting recovery, personal growth, and the enrichment of mind, body and soul. In that time, we have become one of the nation's leading life-issues publishers.

Many of our more than thirty national bestsellers have appeared on the New York Times bestsellers list: Healing the Shame That Binds You by John Bradshaw; Adult Children of Alcoholics by Janet G. Woititz; A Child Called "It" and The Lost Boy by Dave Pelzer; The 7 Worst Things (Good) Parents Do, by John and Linda Friel and multiple books in the Chicken Soup for the Soul series by Jack Canfield and Mark Victor Hansen.

Although we have been a forerunner in recovery publishing, we have grown in new directions. Today, recovery titles are only one part of a publishing program that includes titles in self-help and psychology, health and wellness, spirituality, inspiration, women's and men's issues, relationships, family and teens, gift books and young-adult titles.

In addition to being familiar with the subject areas in which we publish, it's also important for you to understand the type of book we want to acquire. An HCI book shares the following qualities, which we refer to as HEART:

Healing. The book promotes personal growth and long-term change by offering deep-rooted solutions.

Expert. The author is an expert and bases the book on either experience or extensive knowledge and research.

Affirming. The book has an emotional component that touches readers and its tone is compassionate.

Readable. The book is written in a popular style and is easily accessible to general trade readers.

Timely. The topic is newsworthy and offers something new to readers in terms of content, author or approach.

To continue our tradition of excellence in publishing, we seek high-caliber authors who produce original material that appeals to a broad readership. We are interested in nonfiction books that emphasize self-improvement, personal motivation, psychological health, overall wellness or mind/body/spirit integration.

Most of our authors are established experts in their fields and, in some cases, already enjoy national recognition. Many of the authors we publish are professional speakers and consultants who conduct workshops, seminars, or training classes regionally or nationwide. Therefore, these authors are well prepared to promote their books successfully.

The publishing process at HCI begins with a book proposal, which is evaluated by our editorial department. To ensure that book proposals are evaluated on an equal basis and that all necessary information is provided, we require prospective authors to follow our submission guidelines in preparing their proposals.

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I. AUTHOR INFORMATION
Send us your bio or curriculum vitae. Include information on professional credentials, current occupation, previously published works, any public speaking or promotional experience you have, and any television or radio appearances you have made.

II. MARKETING DATA
Supply detailed information on the marketability of your book, including:

• Target audience
• Market size, description and demographics
• How do you intend to promote the book?
• Book summary and purpose
• Book’s unique content and characteristic
• Competing titles and sales figures
• Specific information not provided by comparable titles

III. MANUSCRIPT SAMPLE
Please DO NOT submit bound or two-sided copies of your manuscript. Please send no more or less than the following:

A. Detailed outline of the book (please do not send spiral bound manuscripts)
B. Table of contents.
C. Introduction.
D. Two sample chapters.

In preparing the manuscript sample, please observe our format requirements (these also apply if you are asked to send a complete manuscript):

Manuscript Paper: Use standard (8" x 11), good-quality white typing paper. Do not use erasable bond. Type only on one side of the paper.

Print Quality: Use letter-quality type. Make type as clean and legible as possible.

Spacing and Type Size: All text, tables and caption material must be double-spaced. Allow at least one-inch margins on both sides, top and bottom. Use at least 12-point type.

Chapter and Section Titles: All words in these titles should be upper- and lowercase.

Spelling: Use the first spelling listed in the most recent edition of Webster's New International Dictionary or Webster's Collegiate Dictionary.

Punctuation and Style: Do not use the serial comma. Refer to the most recent edition of The Chicago Manual of Style regarding numbers and any other points of style.

Pagination (applies to complete manuscript only): Pages should be numbered continuously throughout a manuscript, not chapter by chapter.

IV. SASE
Send a self-addressed, stamped (not metered) envelope of suitable size and with sufficient postage to return your proposal. Materials received without an appropriate SASE will not be returned. Due to new postal regulations, we can no longer use a SASE to return parcels weighing 16 ounces or more. Therefore, we no longer return any submissions weighing 16 ounces or over even if a SASE is included. If your parcel weighs 16 ounces or more, neither
your submission nor your SASE will be returned.

All materials you submit should be copies only, not originals. We are not responsible for submissions that are lost, sent without a return address, sent without an appropriate SASE or submissions that exceed the returnable weight limit. Include a cover letter containing your name, return address and daytime phone number with your proposal. The cover letter is for our records and will not be returned to you. Send book proposals to:

Health Communications, Inc.,
3201 S.W. 15th Street
Deerfield Beach, Florida 33442
Attention: Editorial Committee.

Due to the volume of submissions, Health Communications cannot guarantee response times or send personalized responses to individual proposals. All submissions are read in the order they are received, and responses are made by mail. If you do not include a SASE with appropriate postage, your submission will not be returned. Under no circumstances do we accept phone calls or emails regarding submissions. Thank you for your understanding.

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